UNIT: CATAPULT

ACT-Based Reading: Reading & Analyzing a Historical Catapult Document

OBJECTIVE:

Students interpret historical catapult designs and engineering principles.

Materials Needed:

Excerpts from historical military texts

Reading guides

Student Directions:

Goal:
You will analyze excerpts from historical military texts to understand the design, use, and engineering principles of catapults in medieval warfare. You'll also compare these early machines to modern engineering and draw conclusions about the evolution of projectile technology.

Step 1: Preview the Text

Skim the provided historical excerpt from a military or engineering document (e.g., writings about the trebuchet or mangonel).

Use the reading guide to help focus your attention on key ideas, including:

Purpose and function of the catapult

Materials used

Design features that improved performance

Role in battles and sieges

Look for historical context clues like dates, names of inventors or generals, and descriptions of battlefield use.

Step 2: Active Reading & Annotation

Read the text carefully and highlight the following:

Main ideas (e.g., what the catapult was used for)

Supporting details (e.g., how it was constructed or operated)

Engineering strategies (e.g., using counterweights or torsion ropes)

Use margin notes to summarize paragraphs, ask questions, or note unfamiliar vocabulary.

Step 3: Complete the Reading Guide

Fill in your reading guide as you go. Focus on:

Key vocabulary (e.g., "torsion," "pivot," "counterweight")

Descriptions of the catapult's mechanics

Engineering challenges faced by medieval builders

Tactical advantages catapults provided in warfare

Step 4: Compare Past to Present

After reading, complete a comparison chart:

Feature/Function	Medieval Catapults	Modern Engineering (e.g., launch systems)
Materials Used
Energy Source
Design Optimization
Primary Use
Efficiency/Power Output

Use this comparison to understand how basic physics and design principles have remained the same or evolved over time.

Step 5: Group Discussion

In small groups, discuss:

"How did early engineers optimize launch power using the tools and knowledge available to them?"

Consider:

The use of levers, tension, and weight

Trade-offs between size, mobility, and power

Whether ancient engineers followed trial-and-error, math, or intuition

ACT-STYLE QUESTION:

According to the passage, what was the primary purpose of catapults in medieval warfare?

To destroy enemy morale

To launch soldiers over castle walls

To breach fortifications

To test engineering theories